Can a child walk with a broken femur?

A broken femur (thigh bone) is a break in your child’s longest, largest, heaviest and strongest bone. The femur makes normal standing and walking possible. Although it’s a difficult bone to break, femur fractures in childhood are not uncommon.

What are the side effects of a broken femur?

Surgical complications. Some complications related to surgery include infection and blood clots. Managing a broken femur after surgery Following a femur break, once the bone is set back into its proper place and is stable, your doctor will most likely recommend physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the bone.

What kind of cast do you put on a broken femur?

After reduction or surgery, your child will be put in a spica cast to hold the bone in place while it heals. If your child has surgery, the spica cast will also hold the hip or thigh muscles in place while they heal.

Which is the fourth bone in the leg?

The leg has three long bones — the femur, tibia, and fibula — as well as a fourth bone, the patella, also known as the kneecap. The femur extends from the pelvis to the knee.

When does your child have a femur fracture?

Your child has a break (fracture) in his or her thighbone (femur). The femur is a strong bone and is very hard to break. So a femur fracture is often the result of great force during severe trauma (such as a car accident, bad fall, or serious sports injury).

When to take a cast off a femur fracture?

This helps the bone heal correctly. A spica cast is left on until the bone is healed, in about 8 to 12 weeks. After the cast comes off, the child may need to use crutches for 3 to 4 weeks while the leg regains strength if he or she is old enough (around age 6). This type of cast is mainly used in younger children.

How long does it take for a broken femur to heal?

While in the cast, the bones will grow and heal back into a more normal shape. In general, for the best results, the broken pieces should not overlap more than 2 cm when in the cast. The growth of the thighbone may be temporarily increased by the trauma.

What happens to the femur after a femur fracture?

The growth of the thighbone may be temporarily increased by the trauma. The mild shortening from the overlap will resolve. A thighbone fracture before and immediately after treatment with a spica cast. The femur will remodel over time so that it appears normal. Traction.